This invention relates to an electrical connector which is useful in switching connection or disconnection of electric circuits.
Various electrical connectors of the type are already known. For example, an electrical connector is disclosed in J-P-B2 No. 57-27592 for use in a conventional communication unit which comprises a distributing board and a circuit board. The electrical connector comprises a first, a second, and a third connection element as will presently be described.
The first connection element comprises a first insulator and a first conductive contact tightly held to the first insulator. Similarly, the second connection element comprises a second insulator and a second conductive contact tightly held to the second insulator. Each of the first and the second conductive contact is of a pin type. The first and the second insulators are fixedly placed to each other to make the first conductive contact have an axial end thereof which is opposite to that of the second conductive contact in a predetermined direction. For example, the first and the second insulators are fixed to the distributing and the circuit boards, respectively.
The third connection element comprises a connecting member which is mounted on the first conductive contact to be movable in the predetermined direction. The connecting member has both ends which are formed with a first and a second socket portion in the manner known in the art, respectively. The first socket portion is always brought in contact with the first conductive contact. The second socket portion comes in contact with the second conductive contact by moving the connecting member.
When the connecting member is moved towards the second connection element in the predetermined direction, the second socket portion comes in contact with the second conductive contact together with the first socket portion being in contact with the first conductive contact. As a result, the first conductive contact is electrically connected to the second conductive contact through the connecting member.
According to the electric connector, it is possible to connect or disconnect the first conductive contact with the second conductive contact without removing the first and the second connection elements from the distributing and the circuit boards.
However, it is disadvantageous that the connector has a size which is relatively large in the predetermined direction. This is because the third connection element are formed with the first and the second socket portions at the both ends thereof.